The developing speed of color development greatly depends on both the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material and the color developer.
With the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, the configuration, size and composition of silver halide grains contained in silver halide emulsion layer greatly influence the developing speed. With the color developer, it is known that the speed is greatly influenced by the conditions of color developer, especially the developing inhibitor in the developer, and pH, temperature and the like of the developer itself. Silver chloride grains, especially, show a significantly high developing speed as described in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) No. 232342/1984, and are known to be advantageous in shortening the developing process.
However, the studies by the inventors have revealed that, though a silver halide emulsion comprising certain type of high percentage of silver chloride particles apparently shows a high developing speed, its anti-pressure desensitizing properties are disadvantageously degraded.
At the same time, as a result of the rapid processing, for example, due to the increased transporting speed in an automatic developing machine, the frequencies for sensitization and desensitization caused by scratching or pressuring at various areas within and outside an automatic developing machine have increased. Accordingly, the more excellent anti-pressure properties are required of a light-sensitive material.
Various studies indicate that these mechanical pressures cause silver halide emulsion, which is a constituent of a light-sensitive material, to develop a fogging or desensitization.
For example, the Journal of Photographic Science, by D. Dautrich, F. Granzer, E. Moisar et al., Vol. 21 (1973), pp 221-226, discusses in great detail the strain and lattice defect of silver halide crystals in the case the silver halide grains are deformed due to pressure, and the effect where the similar strain and lattice defect exert on the distribution of latent image centers.
As a means for improving such pressure-fogging and pressuredesensitization, a method to prevent the pressure from reaching the silver halide grains is conventionally known. In this method, various gelatins, polymers or other organic substances are incorporated into a protective layer, intermediate layer, and other layers of light-sensitive material containing silver halide grains.
The examples of the substances used in such a method include the following: heterocyclic compounds described in British Patent No. 738,618; alkylphthalates described in British Patent No. 738,637; alkyl esters described in British Patent No. 738,639; hydrophilic compounds, especially, polyhydric alcohols described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,960, 404; carboxylalkylcelluloses described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,121,060; paraffins and carboxylates described in Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication No. 5017/1974; glycerin derivatives, and ether and thioether compounds described in Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication No. 141623/1976; organic high boiling compounds, not mixing with hydrophilic binders, described in Japanese Patent 0.P.I Publication No. 85421/1978; alkyl acrylates and organic acids described in Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. 28086/1978; and others.
However, as a matter of fact, these methods are insufficient in achieving their principal purposes as their preventive effects against intense pressure on a light-sensitive material is virtually non-existant, furthermore, they sometimes give excessive stickiness on the surface of the similar material, or, in terms of the properties of the material, give adverse effects such as sensitization, desensitization, change in gradation, fogging and the like.
Additionally, into photographic emulsion layers and other hydrophilic colloid layers of silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is usually incorporated a hardener in order to enhance the layer hardness by crosslinking binder molecules together It has been also learned that the nature of the above-mentioned anti-pressure properties is influenced by a type of hardener For example, a combination involving a certain silver halide emulsion and a vinylsulfon hardener provided rather good properties. However, some hardeners show different behaviors in accordance with a silver halide emulsion used together, and have limited range of application, or have insufficient gloss of the surface of the photographic material Furthermore, the achieved improvement of anti-pressure properties of such hardeners is quite limited and unsatisfactory.
As can be understood from the description, above, it is the present situation that the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material provided with the photographic properties including the anti-pressure properties in compliance with the rapid processing has not yet been found, and that there is a mounting demand for the improvement of the similar material.